Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of Ispace. The Resilience lunar lander could become the company's first to touch down on the moon on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 2, 2025
Japanese startup Ispace prepares for lunar lander to touch down on the moon
The goal is to achieve a soft landing near the Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold, in the moon’s northern hemisphere.
A lab at Kyoto University Hospital. A team comprising members from Kyoto University and elsewhere has discovered a way to predict whether someone will develop esophageal cancer.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 29, 2025
Team develops esophageal cancer prediction method using the inside of the cheek
The team managed to make cancer probability predictions with an accuracy of over 70%.
A University of Osaka study of more than 1,400 fourth-graders has found that children who chew poorly and eat quickly are significantly more likely to be obese.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 26, 2025
Study links poor chewing to higher obesity risk in children
The University of Osaka study involving over 1,400 fourth-graders is among the first to demonstrate a clear link between eating behavior and obesity risk in children.
NTT's drone — aimed at triggering, then redirecting lightning — is described as a "flying lightning rod."
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 23, 2025
NTT develops world's first 'flying lightning rod' using drones
NTT said it hopes its flying lightning rods will one day shield cities and digital infrastructure from strikes.
Elementary school children receive checkups from dental students in Tra Vinh, Vietnam, in March.
Dentists pass Japan-style oral health care to children in Vietnam
Surveys show nearly 90% of elementary school students in Vietnam have tooth decay.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President Hiroshi Yamakawa speaks at a press briefing in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 17, 2025
Japan remains committed to moon missions as Trump cuts NASA budget, JAXA chief says
U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed a $6 billion cut to NASA's budget could upend the Artemis program to return people to the moon.
People shop inside a tax-free drug store at the Ameyoko shopping district in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 16, 2025
Emergency contraceptive pill may be approved for over-the-counter sales
In most cases, women in Japan must undergo a medical examination and obtain a prescription to access such pills.

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic